Thursday, September 24, 2009

The memory throws up high and dryA crowd of twisted things;A twisted branch upon the beachEaten smooth, and polishedAs if the world gave upThe secret of its skeleton,Stiff and white.A broken spring in a factory yard,Rust that clings to the form that the strength has leftHard and curled and ready to snap.----T.S. Eliot, Rhapsody on a Windy Night, 1917

Collecting is a calling, not a choice. For some people, the impulse to collect takes over. The seduction of the object is too much to resist. When someone acquires their object of affection, there is a feeling of satisfaction. For me, I like anything that is worn, torn, weathered, rusty, or broken.

Signs that you are an obsessed collector:

You will risk life and limb to collect something off of the side of a busy highway/cliff/bridge. (Well, maybe not life or limb.)

You will sort through dirty, dusty, rusty bins/boxes/sheds.

You constantly look down for any shiny, rusty, worn old bit on sidewalks/roads/parking lots.

"The quality that we call beauty, however, must always grow from the realities of life, and our ancestors, forced to live in dark rooms, presently came to discover beauty in shadows, ultimately to guide shadows towards beauty's end."------- Jun'ichiro Tanizaki, In Praise of Shadows

The Quebec Canada artist, Linda, whose work can be found here, uses delightful light and shadow to stage and compliment her imagery of text and books.When new artists begin, they often see shadows as dark gray or black. As they develop their observations and gain insight they come to realize that shadows have color or reflected light. Something seems to be flickering and shimmering in the dim half light. As artists become more attuned to observing nature, and light, the mysteries and secrets of shadows are revealed. As an artist myself, who loves contrast and black and white, shadows can soften the edge between light and dark and be a transition. This "visible darkness" brings balance and harmony to the work. Do you lean towards the light, dwell in darkness, or dance in the shadows in between?

My aesthetics---what I like---extends beyond my studio. I don't think artists can separate themselves from their surroundings. In my search for my identity in my work, I look inside my closet. I look at my home decor, the books I read, and outside at my gardens. Like the elements in my paintings and assemblages, the stones, plants, and Buddha outside are planned and arranged until they are pleasing to my eye. The smooth stones may be stacked or flat, but they are an integral part of my gardens. A rock garden next to the pond creates harmony. Balance. Peace. Tranquility. Meditation.Can you hear the waterfall splashing against the rocks above the koi? Your outer world reflects your inner world. My studio is where I do my work, but my gardens become my sanctuary and my inspiration. Where do you get your inspiration?

IXWhen the blackbird flew out of sightIt marked the edgeOf one of many circles.----- from Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbirdby Wallace Stevens

Loud. Noisy. Arrogant. Aggressive. People either love or hate the crow. Messenger. Mystery.Symbol. Harbinger. Over the centuries, the crow has garnered a bad reputation. They have become a symbol of death or disease. Misunderstood. Myths. The sounds of smaller birds, with their tweets and chirps, sound melodic, soothing. The crows, with their loud "caw, caws" pierce the air. Even their color black can be harsh, a loud note on the snow, or grey pavement. I don't like the gang of crows. I prefer the lone crow, sitting on a branch of a leafless tree. The tree branches form calligraphy marks and the crow becomes a large black calligraphy note. Solitary. Quiet. Alone. I have always been drawn to bare, leafless trees. Or an empty chair at the end of a quiet path. Or a solitary bird on a branch or wire. I like contrast in my paintings. The black bird against the white sky, sitting on taupe branches---three of my favorite colors.For those bird lovers out there, I know there are differences between crows and ravens, but for me, they are big, black shapes--the focal point on my canvas. There is a need for mindfulness as we go about our daily life in our urban wilderness. I look for textures, calligraphy, contrast.What do you look for?

Ravensong, a Natural and Fabulous History of Ravens and Crows by Catherine Feher-Elston and illustrated by Lawrence Ormsby. This book is about the spiritual aspects of these birds along with myths and history. The illustrations are beautiful. You can find out more about the book here.